When I started to search, I did notice that there was a chance that there was a misspelling in the last name. I don't know where in Sicily they were from. I am trying to find a living relative who knows but so far, no luck.

My great-gand father was Giuseppe and his 2nd wife, don't know the name of his first, was Antonette. His birth year may be abt 1885 and hers,for sure, is 1890. I don't know when they came over or if my grandfather, Frank Joseph, was born in Sicily or the US. Don't know the exact date of birth. Year is around 1905-1910. Other children are Nicholas(1909), Pauline(1915), Joseph(1917),Helen(1921)and Salvatore(1925).

Not sure but I think they settled in Chicago before going to NY. I could be wrong but NY is where all eventually ended up. In the states though, we all spell our last name with an O. (Scilabro).

Thank you so much for any help that you can give me.

Dana

Hi, Dana.

I'm not sure who you are, but it would seem I am a cousin of yours.

Your great-grandfather's name would be Michael (Michele) and he was, in fact, married to a woman whose last name was Manescalco. They were not married very long--long enough to have three sons--Frank, Vincent, and Nick. Vincent died as a baby when his night gown caught fire. Their mother died while Frank and Nick were still quite young.

Michael (born 1885) later met and married Antonette Corda (born May 1, 1888), and they had four children--Paulina, Joseph, Helen, and Salvatore. You had the four birth dates correct, except for Helen, who was born in 1923.

Michael first settled in Philadelphia, not Chicago, and did later move to New York, to a small town known as Great River, on Long Island. The first two children--Frank and Nick--were definitely born in Philadelphia. I am not sure if Paulina and Joseph were born in Philadelphia or New York. The last two children--Helen and Salvatore--were definitely born at home in the house in Great River on Long island, New York.

Michael and Antonette were my grandparents. Salvatore, the youngest, was my father. Salvatore had five children--Michael, Barbara (me), and Lisa with his first wife, Ann (who passed away in 1966) and David and Samantha with his second wife, Dolores. Michael passed away at three months old (crib death). Lisa and I live on Long Island. David and his wife and children live in Alabama. Samantha also lives in Alabama.

They are not all passed away, as Helen is still very much alive. My sister Lisa and I take her on errands every two weeks.

I do know that Grandpa Michael and Grandma Antonette both come from Burgio, Agrigento, Sicily. Grandpa came here in 1902 at the age of 17.

wldspirit wrote:No problem...glad to be of some help.Did you notice on the census info provided by Suanjthat Michael was married at 18, Antoinette at 24?Yet Michael is older than she by 5 years...leads me to believe that he was married previously, which fits some ofthe search criteria you provided.

However, I am still looking at manifest. There were 18 persons surnamedSCILABRA, and many, many more with mispellings.Also if more census infos could be found, 1910 and 1920, that would help as well. So far, I have found nothing in way of census.........

In the meantime, pull as many documents as you can on your family.Birth, marriage and death. Naturalization, social security apps, obituaries hold key infos. Did the family attend a specific church......have you checked for church records??? Do you have any old photographs, letters, ect., which may contain clues......and interview all family members for info.

wldspirit

Michael died on August 25, 1936, in a car accident.

Antonette died in June 1967, of heart failure.

They were Catholic, and, as far as I know, there were no Catholic churches in their area when they first settled there--it was quite rural.

Dana12049 wrote:I did not notice the census. Glad that you pointed that one out.I am trying to locate family. Most have passed away and there aren't many documents on my family.Thank you for your help. Any other advice would be appreciated

Dana

According to your info, I am your family, and I am still in New York. Feel free to email me.

Dear Barbs, I started an private search, and are sure that:
- the first name is MICHAEL as you say and no Joseph;
-married in first time to ..... Maniscalco and in second wedding to Antonietta CORDA born 1 May 18 Jamaica, Queens, New York
died in Jul 1967 and no born in 1890 as dana say and also as are in 1930 census....
-but are an discrepance: because yesterday I received the reply from Archives and no records for Giuseppe( Joseph) or Michael born in 1885 in Burgio; no listed in militar service, and SURE he must be in the list; are only an Giuseppe born in Burgio but the 6 March 1882 and this record is NO your ancestor..in fact no was born in Burgio... so are listed for militar service medical check up in records of another Common in Agrigento province...

-I know that real name is Michael and that it had to leave in 1901 with an older sister and the nephews( children of sister), but for some cause Michael no left and travelled in 1902. The residence place was no Burgio.

suanj wrote:Dear Barbs, I started an private search, and are sure that:- the first name is MICHAEL as you say and no Joseph;-married in first time to ..... Maniscalco and in second wedding to Antonietta CORDA born 1 May 18 Jamaica, Queens, New York died in Jul 1967 and no born in 1890 as dana say and also as are in 1930 census.... -but are an discrepance: because yesterday I received the reply from Archives and no records for Giuseppe( Joseph) or Michael born in 1885 in Burgio; no listed in militar service, and SURE he must be in the list; are only an Giuseppe born in Burgio but the 6 March 1882 and this record is NO your ancestor..in fact no was born in Burgio... so are listed for militar service medical check up in records of another Common in Agrigento province...

-I know that real name is Michael and that it had to leave in 1901 with an older sister and the nephews( children of sister), but for some cause Michael no left and travelled in 1902. The residence place was no Burgio.

thanks for your helpful apport, regards, suanj

My grandmother, Antonette (Antonina), was not born in Jamaica, Queens (or are you saying they were married in Jamaica, Queens?). She was born in Sicily on May 1, 1888. I am quite sure from what I have heard from aunts and an uncle about her being born in Burgio, and her mother, Ursula (Orsola) Roselli, was from Villa Franca Sicula. I also know that these places are close to each other. Antonette's father was Giuseppe Corda. She had a brother named Ignatzio, a brother named Giuseppe, a brother named Domenico (died as a child), a sister named Jenny (Vicenza?), and a half-sister, twenty years her junior, named Millie. I personally met and knew Giuseppe, Jenny, and Mille, whose maiden name was Di Michele, I believe, the last name of Ursula's second husband.

I don't know how Michael could have military records in Sicily when he came to the US when he was only 17, but perhaps they enlisted them young over there. I know that there was some family from Burgio, but it is possible that he was not among them. I wonder if he could instead be from Villa Franca Sicula, which is the birthplace of Ursula Roselli, Antonette's mother. I say this because I know he and my grandmother (Antonette) knew each other as young children, but didn't meet again until years later in the US, after Michael's first wife died and when Antonette was a young adult.

suanj wrote:yesterday I received the reply from Archives and no records for Giuseppe( Joseph) or Michael born in 1885 in Burgio; no listed in militar service, and SURE he must be in the list; are only an Giuseppe born in Burgio but the 6 March 1882 and this record is NO your ancestor..in fact no was born in Burgio... so are listed for militar service medical check up in records of another Common in Agrigento province...

-I know that real name is Michael and that it had to leave in 1901 with an older sister and the nephews( children of sister), but for some cause Michael no left and travelled in 1902. The residence place was no Burgio.

thanks for your helpful apport, regards, suanj

You know, that's funny... Grandpa Michael's birthday was also in March. I also know that there was NO former place of residence listed in the Ellis Island records, in that column, there was "..."

suanj wrote:-I know that real name is Michael and that it had to leave in 1901 with an older sister and the nephews( children of sister), but for some cause Michael no left and travelled in 1902. The residence place was no Burgio.

thanks for your helpful apport, regards, suanj

One more thing I just remembered--maybe this will help.

Michael's mother's name was Paola Guarino (or something like that). Does that help? I know that my Aunt Paulina was named after her.

suanj wrote: know that real name is Michael and that it had to leave in 1901 with an older sister and the nephews( children of sister), but for some cause Michael no left and travelled in 1902.

I hope I am not trying your patience, and I appreciate your corrections.

Could the older sister have been the one who was married into the Roselli family?

I had heard from family that Michael's older sister was married to Antonette's uncle (Ursula's brother). It was at that wedding that Michael and Antonette played together as children, only to meet again years later in the USA and get married.

3: finally: Antonietta Corda was no subject my main attention for this search because married in USA.

4: The Agrigento archive reply was for an my personal and private first contact. I no started the search again.

5: Michael SURE must was listed for MEDICAL CHECK UP if physically able for italian Militar service as ALL ITALIAN MALES... the list is make by birthregistries, and no by person to person... and all males are calls by post: if someone no present, as Michael's case, simply on record are wrote the "RENITENTE" word =unwilling; but the record exist equally.

6: the Scilabra surname is most probably originated in Agrigento province and most diffused in Burgio.. but seems that Michael was no born in Burgio, perhaps the Michael's father... the Michael's sister was Caterina named...

7: and finally again: because Dana12049 seems no more interested, because no reply, personally I can lose interest me too.

3: finally: Antonietta Corda was no subject my main attention for this search because married in USA.

That's Grandma, all right.

I thank you so much for all the attention you have given to this anyway. I hope there is no misunderstanding here. I am truly grateful that I found this discussion forum.

Also, I understand why her last residence might have been Jamaica, Queens, as she lived with my two aunts (Paula and Helen), her daughters, when they were working in New York City. They had an apartment in the city in addition to the small family home out on Long Island, around the corner from my own childhood home. All the data you have provided points to her being the very same person I knew and loved.

4: The Agrigento archive reply was for an my personal and private first contact. I no started the search again.

5: Michael SURE must was listed for MEDICAL CHECK UP if physically able for italian Militar service as ALL ITALIAN MALES... the list is make by birthregistries, and no by person to person... and all males are calls by post: if someone no present, as Michael's case, simply on record are wrote the "RENITENTE" word =unwilling; but the record exist equally.

I see. I understand more fully now. Thank you so much.

6: the Scilabra surname is most probably originated in Agrigento province and most diffused in Burgio.. but seems that michael was no born in Burgio, perhaps the Michael father... the Michael sister was Caterina named...

Yes, that was her. Again I have to thank you.

7: and finally again: because Dana12049 seems no more interested, because no reply, personally I can lose interest me too.

Thanks. Regards, suanj

Still, I thank you for all your patience and all your knowledge.

I noticed that Dana12049 also said she thought there was no family left in New York. So, I posted in response to her because I was also hoping that she would see that there are.

3: finally: Antonietta Corda was no subject my main attention for this search because married in USA.

That's Grandma, all right.

I thank you so much for all the attention you have given to this anyway. I hope there is no misunderstanding here. I am truly grateful that I found this discussion forum.

Also, I understand why her last residence might have been Jamaica, Queens, as she lived with my two aunts (Paula and Helen), her daughters, when they were working in New York City. They had an apartment in the city in addition to the small family home out on Long Island, around the corner from my own childhood home. All the data you have provided points to her being the very same person I knew and loved.

4: The Agrigento archive reply was for an my personal and private first contact. I no started the search again.

5: Michael SURE must was listed for MEDICAL CHECK UP if physically able for italian Militar service as ALL ITALIAN MALES... the list is make by birthregistries, and no by person to person... and all males are calls by post: if someone no present, as Michael's case, simply on record are wrote the "RENITENTE" word =unwilling; but the record exist equally.

I see. I understand more fully now. Thank you so much.

6: the Scilabra surname is most probably originated in Agrigento province and most diffused in Burgio.. but seems that michael was no born in Burgio, perhaps the Michael father... the Michael sister was Caterina named...

Yes, that was her. Again I have to thank you.

7: and finally again: because Dana12049 seems no more interested, because no reply, personally I can lose interest me too.

Thanks. Regards, suanj

Still, I thank you for all your patience and all your knowledge.

I noticed that Dana12049 also said she thought there was no family left in New York. So, I posted in response to her because I was also hoping that she would see that there are.